Youth leaders receive national Scouting award

A pair of Latter-day Saint general auxiliary leaders was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award during the Boy Scouts of America’s recent national annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, Primary general president, and Brother David L. Beck, Young Men general president, were honored with Scouting’s highest national-level service award. The Silver Buffalo recognizes an individual’s “noteworthy and extraordinary service” to youth.

Both Sister Wixom and Brother Beck are longtime champions of Scouting, regularly lending their support to Scouting activities around the country, including the annual LDS leadership conference at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

The two join a long and distinguished list of Church leaders who have received the Silver Buffalo. Past recipients include President George Albert Smith, President Heber J. Grant, President David O. McKay, President Ezra Taft Benson, Sister LaVern W. Parmley, President Spencer W. Kimball, President Gordon B. Hinckley, Sister Coleen K. Menlove and President Thomas S. Monson.

Boy Scout leaders also nominated Sister Wixom to serve on Scouting’s National Executive Board, where she will join Brother Beck and President Monson.

President Monson has served more than four decades on the National Executive Board.

In a conversation with the LDS-BSA Relationships office, Sister Wixom commented on her new assignment.

“My appointment is really an honor for the Church,” she said. “It speaks volumes to have the BSA want an additional general Church officer to participate on the BSA National Executive Board. There is also value in having women’s voices influence Scouting. It is often the mothers who make Scouting happen and help their sons through the process.”